Travel Weekly Group Ltd

📈 The Advantage Travel Partnership collaborates with Vibe for a new online booking tool platform aimed at TMCs under the AMS model. This empowers agents with advanced tools, leveraging group buying power to compete with larger organizations. Stephen Baxendale emphasizes their commitment to leading technology, enhancing their One-Stop Business Hub for growing market needs. Vibe's Danny Girling highlights the leveling of the playing field, offering TMCs the ability to serve clients innovatively and profitably.

🛫 SITA partners with Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Airport (RSI) as a Specialised Airport Systems provider for the new Main Terminal Building. RSI, developed by Red Sea Global, aims to serve one million guests annually by 2030 with a peak capacity of 900 passengers per hour. SITA will implement solutions for passenger processing, baggage reconciliation, and airport operations. The solutions include SITA Flex, Maestro departure control system, Bag Manager, and Information Display Systems, ensuring a smooth passenger experience and efficient airport management.

💰 In 2025, business travel is set to grow, with 40% of companies expecting a boost between June and July, and 42% increasing their budgets from 2024 levels. The 2024 Global Business Travel Association report highlights 86% of buyers and suppliers meeting or exceeding their targets. Corporate travel budgets are anticipated to rise for 52% of buyers. BizAway, an Italian travel management company, recorded a 47% surge in booked stays and a 57% jump in total bookings year-over-year. The UK, with a 31.3% investment rate in business travel in 2024 and expected spending of $51.5 billion, is a focus for BizAway. BizAway's BizzyFlex service saw a 152.81% increase in usage for cancellations with refunds. The company also saved clients an average of 15.5% on hotels and observed a 63% growth in train travel, reflecting a push for sustainability. Technology and sustainability investments are critical for 2025, with 49% of professionals planning to enhance tech spending.

🏨 European hotels led price parity from October 2023 to October 2024, 48% of direct rates outperformed OTA and Metasearch prices. Paris topped October 2024 rankings with 67.35% best direct rates, followed by Lisbon (66.56%). Eurostars improved direct booking rates by 39 percentage points to 78.8%. Radisson Hotel Group matched 44.5% of rates with OTAs, whereas IHG faltered. OTA Booking.com was featured in over 90% of offers, but was beaten by hotels' direct rates 47.4% of the time.

📱 Nokia and Ooredoo Oman are joining forces to launch a Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network in Oman. Powered by Nokia's 1830 Photonic Service Switch and WaveSuite optical automation software, the network will boost hyperscalers, AI applications, and cloud platforms. The commercial launch is set for March 2025, in line with Oman Vision 2040, enhancing the nation's global competitiveness and digital infrastructure. The CEOs of both companies emphasize the strategic importance of the partnership for regional connectivity and economic growth.

✈ Recent research reveals that 86% of flight shoppers are willing to pay more for seats that align with their preferences. Decades ago, flight prices mainly differed by cabin class and price, but today's advanced technology permits content-rich shopping experiences, enhancing both customer satisfaction and airline benefits. 83% of consumers have paid for seat selection, indicating that factors beyond price are significant when choosing flights. Airlines now focus on offering a comprehensive, optimized product, combining pricing with detailed content to meet customer needs and foster loyalty.

🚿 HITEK Services has introduced Housekeeping Plus, a smart mobile app aimed at enhancing housekeeping operations in the hospitality industry. The app, designed for hotels, resorts, and property management companies, streamlines workflow and automates tasks. It features digital checklists, real-time room condition updates, automated room assignments, inventory reports, and QR code integration for efficient task management. It also interfaces with Property Management Systems (PMS) for real-time occupancy and guest movement information, allowing the front office to instantly update room status. The app aids in improving efficiency, cost savings, and inter-departmental communication, and supports maintenance issue reporting with image sharing capabilities.

📱 Airial Travel, an AI travel planning company, launched its public beta. Founded by former Google, Facebook, Instagram, Waymo experts, it uses the AlphaTravel AI engine. Features include itinerary creation from social media posts, multi-destination planning, real-time editing, and fast pricing. CEO Archit Karandikar emphasizes ease of turning ideas into plans. Desktop and laptop beta is available now, with a mobile app release slated for 2025.